Chicago Fire FC forward Robert Beric can’t stop scoring. No, really.
The Designated Player has scored in each of Chicago’s last five games, which comes after a stretch of seven goalless games from the Slovenian international. Having a bonafide No. 9 who’s a dependable scorer, at least in recent weeks, has only fueled the club’s continued evolution under head coach Raphael Wicky.
Beric’s latest exclamation point came in Saturday night’s 2-2 draw against the Montreal Impact, capitalizing on a backline turnover in the 15th minute with an opportunistic finish.
“That's what every team needs, right? A guy who scores, who knows where the goal is,” Wicky said is his post-match press conference. “And we knew that when we brought Robert in. I think it wasn't an easy year overall for everyone, for sure not for him as well. He had a little bit of a dry period. But I think it's important that you always keep believing and always keep working. And he's a striker who has proven goal-scoring records over the years. They know where the goal is. If they have a little dry period, they don't have to doubt. It's important to work, keep working.”
Watch: Beric scores against Montreal
Wicky’s confidence refers to Beric’s previous stop with Ligue 1's Saint-Etienne, where he scored 34 times in 104 appearances. He also enjoyed positive returns at Austrian side Rapid Vienna and has two goals in 24 caps for Slovenia’s national team, creating a profile that's leading to an impactful MLS stay.
Hot streak aside, Beric steers credit to his teammates for putting him in positions to succeed.
“I mean, it's always nice to score a goal, but I always say, it's even nicer to win, you know?,” Beric said. “So I mean, when I’m scoring goals it’s the work of the whole team, so I'm thankful for that, that the team is helping me, that I'm helping the team. So we just have to try to keep winning and being good, having a good energy for every next game that's coming.”
The Fire are one point away an Eastern Conference postseason spot, though they’re undefeated (2-0-1) in their last three matches. Now, they’ll look to maintain this form when traveling to Sporting Kansas City on Wednesday in a non-conference test (8:30 pm ET | MLS LIVE on ESPN+, on DAZN in Canada).
Beric, who has seven goals in 15 matches, knows there's a tall task before his team. He’s on pace for nearly 11 goals in 2020, though perhaps he’ll surpass that at his current rate.
“We feel each other much more on the pitch,” Beric said of Chicago's current run. “I think we get to know, get to slowly know each other more. And then I also know what to expect in the moments on the pitch, what kind of ball, where to move. So I think it's the progress of the whole team and as you can see also how we play, I think we are making progress from game to game and I think this is the main reason."
